We write to you to strongly commend the Social Security
Administration's (SSA) leadership in providing a valuable, prompt, and
cost-effective service to the public through the World Wide Web.
Specifically, we applaud the agency's efforts to provide easier access to
the Personal Earnings and Benefits Estimate Statement (PEBES).

You have been one of the first to recognize what more and more
people are starting to learn -- that the Internet is a valuable new tool to
create a more user-friendly government. All of our constituents can
benefit from new and innovative ways of disseminating government records.
Your innovation will help individuals avoid the bureaucratic maze by
allowing individuals to avoid long waits at, and costly calls to, the SSA,
and will free up valuable staff resources at the SSA. However, recent news
reports have made valid points about the necessity of implementing
processes to authenticate the identity of the individual requesting access
to the SSA database. It goes without saying that an individual's record
with the SSA is a matter of the utmost privacy and we must do all we can to
protect individual privacy while allowing individuals to have easier access
to their government.

We recognize that you have chosen to temporarily "unplug" your
PEBES web feature in order to re-evaluate the privacy issue. As you begin
your research, we strongly encourage you to investigate technologies such
as public-key digital signatures and passwords in order to verify identity.
We are saddened that the recent controversy has taken this valuable service
from the public, and we hope that procedures can be quickly implemented to
ensure prompt and secure public access to PEBES.